John 18:33-3718:33 Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?"18:34 Jesus answered, "Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?"18:35 Pilate replied, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?" 18:36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here."18:37 Pilate asked him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

​​We are all, I imagine, familiar with the Dr. Seuss story How the Grinch Stole Christmas! In the story, the Grinch wrongly assumes that the joy of Christmas depends upon having stuff – good toys and games, holiday decorations and festive food. But he discovers, of course, that the Who’s in Whoville don’t need stuff to have joy on Christmas morning. Now, while the Grinch was unsuccessful at stealing Christmas, there is an even more threatening culprit seeking to steal Thanksgiving.

Running on empty is a stressful way to travel. I've done it often enough myself to understand the basic anxiety. What's more, I get frequent reminders. I once served a small church that was just a short distance from a major interstate highway. Travelers in need frequently come to our door. They tell a variety of compelling stories all about the urgent need to get from here to there. Almost always, the climax of the story is, "We're running on empty."